JP7109331B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a gas introduction mechanism provided for performing a predetermined process on a substrate using a predetermined gas in a processing chamber extends vertically along the inner wall surface of the processing chamber and includes a tubular member. an injector support having an insertion hole that can be inserted and externally supported; an injector that is inserted into the insertion hole and extends linearly along the inner wall surface; and a rotating mechanism for rotating is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

A substrate holder for stacking and holding a plurality of substrates; a processing chamber for processing the substrates held by the substrate holder; an angle varying device for varying the angle of the gas supply unit in a direction parallel to the main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; a rotating device for rotating the substrate holder; an angle varying operation of the gas supply unit and the substrate; 2. Description of the Related Art A substrate processing apparatus is known that includes a control unit that controls rotating operations of holders to be synchronized (see Patent Document 2, for example).

JP 2018-56232 A JP 2011-29441 A

Provided are a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of supplying a processing gas at a position close to a substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes:
a processing container having a substantially cylindrical shape;
It has a plurality of pillars arranged along the outer periphery of the substrate, has a holding structure capable of holding the substrate in multiple stages inside the plurality of pillars, and vertically separates the plurality of substrates. a substrate holder that can be held in multiple stages and that can be carried into and out of the processing container;
a substrate holder rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holder;
It extends in the vertical direction along the substrate holder, has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that protrudes in one direction, has a plurality of discharge holes at the tip of the protruding part, and the tip of the protruding part is the above-mentioned an injector installed so that it enters inside the support and the opposite side of the projecting portion is outside the support;
The injector has a rotation axis outside the support, and the injector is rotated around the rotation axis so as not to come into contact with the support when the substrate holder rotates and the support approaches. and an injector rotating mechanism that rotates the injector about the rotation axis so that the plurality of discharge holes are located inside the support when the support is not close to the support .

According to the present disclosure, process gas can be supplied to the substrate inside the pillars of the substrate holder without causing the injectors to collide with the pillars.

1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a figure showing an example of a wafer boat of a substrate processing device concerning this embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an injector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining operations of the injector and the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; It is the figure which showed an example of the injector rotation mechanism applicable to the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method which concern on this embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this specification and the drawings, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant explanations.

[Substrate processing equipment]
A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus that performs heat treatment on a substrate will be described as an example. applicable to the device.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus has a reaction tube 10 capable of accommodating semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers W"). The reaction tube 10 is a processing container for accommodating and processing the wafers W. As shown in FIG. The reaction tube 10 is made of highly heat-resistant quartz and has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has an exhaust port 11 on the ceiling. The reaction tube 10 is configured in a vertical shape extending in the vertical (vertical) direction. The diameter of the reaction tube 10 is set in the range of about 350 to 450 mm, for example, when the diameter of the wafer W to be processed is 300 mm.

A gas exhaust port 20 is connected to the exhaust port 11 in the ceiling of the reaction tube 10 . The gas exhaust port 20 is composed of, for example, a quartz tube extending from the exhaust port 11 and bent at right angles into an L-shape.

A vacuum exhaust system 30 for exhausting the atmosphere in the reaction tube 10 is connected to the gas exhaust port 20 . Specifically, the vacuum exhaust system 30 has a metal gas exhaust pipe 31 made of, for example, stainless steel and connected to the gas exhaust port 20 . In the middle of the gas exhaust pipe 31, an on-off valve 32, a pressure control valve 33 such as a butterfly valve, and a vacuum pump 34 are successively interposed, so that the pressure inside the reaction tube 10 can be evacuated while adjusting the pressure. It's becoming The inner diameter of the gas exhaust port 20 is set to be the same as the inner diameter of the gas exhaust pipe 31 .

A heater 40 is provided on the side of the reaction tube 10 so as to surround the reaction tube 10 so that the wafers W housed in the reaction tube 10 can be heated. The heater 40 is divided into, for example, a plurality of zones, and is composed of a plurality of heaters (not shown) whose calorific value can be controlled independently from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction. Note that the heater 40 may be composed of one heater without being divided into a plurality of zones. A heat insulating material 50 is provided around the heater 40 to ensure thermal stability.

The lower end of the reaction tube 10 is open so that the wafer W can be loaded and unloaded. The opening at the lower end of the reaction tube 10 is configured to be opened and closed by a lid 60 .

A wafer boat 80 is provided above the lid 60 . The wafer boat 80 is a substrate holder for holding the wafers W, and is configured to be able to hold a plurality of wafers W in a multistage manner while being separated from each other in the vertical direction. Although the number of wafers W held by the wafer boat 80 is not particularly limited, it can be, for example, 50 to 150 wafers.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the wafer boat 80 of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. 2(a) is a top view of the wafer boat 80, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view of the wafer boat 80. FIG. FIG. 2(c) is a cross-sectional top view taken along line DD of FIG. 2(b) and viewed from above.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the wafer boat 80 has a top plate 81, a bottom plate 82, substrate holding columns 83, and auxiliary columns . Of these, the auxiliary strut 84 is not essential and is provided as required.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a top plate 81 is arranged at the top and a bottom plate 82 is arranged at the bottom. Further, substrate holding columns 83 and auxiliary columns 84 are provided, both ends of which are connected and fixed to the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 . In FIG. 2(b), substrate holding columns 83 and auxiliary columns 84 are provided between the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 so as to connect and support the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82. In FIG.

The substrate holding column 83 is means for holding substrates such as wafers W in multiple stages, and has, for example, a plurality of claws 83a formed in the vertical direction. A groove 83b is formed between the adjacent claws 83a so that the wafer W can be horizontally held in the groove 83b (or on the claw 83a). In this manner, the substrate holding column 83 has a configuration capable of holding the wafer W in a horizontal state in multiple stages within the groove 83b. In order to hold the wafer W, it is necessary to support the wafer W at at least three points, so at least three substrate holding columns 83 are required. The configuration for holding the wafer W of the substrate holder 80 is not limited to the configuration in which the grooves 83b are formed, and various configurations can be employed depending on the application. That is, a configuration in which a holding member is attached to the substrate holding column 83 or a configuration in which an annular member for supporting the wafer W may be provided.

In FIGS. 2A and 2B, three substrate holding columns 83 and two auxiliary columns 84 are shown. The number of substrate holding columns 83 may be three or more, and may be increased to four or five as necessary. For example, in FIG. 2, it is possible to use all of the auxiliary columns 84 as substrate holding columns 83 and provide five substrate holding columns 83 . On the other hand, the auxiliary struts 84 may be provided as required, and can be eliminated if unnecessary. It should be noted that hereinafter, both the substrate holding column 83 and the auxiliary column 84 may be collectively referred to as columns 83 and 84 .

A top plate 81 is provided at the top of the wafer boat 80 and forms a ceiling surface. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the top plate 81 has a circular portion 81a and a projecting portion 81b. The circular portion 81a is a portion forming a circle centering on C1. The protruding portion 81b is a portion that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 81a, and the substrate holding column 83 and the auxiliary column 84 are installed on this portion. Therefore, below the top plate 81 , the substrate holding column 83 and the auxiliary column 84 are the outermost protruding portions, and this portion determines the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80 .

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), in the top plate 81 , the projecting portion 81 b is the outermost portion of the top plate 81 . Since the substrate processing apparatus performs substrate processing while rotating the wafer boat 80, the outermost portion of the protruding portion 81b determines the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80, as indicated by the dashed line. As shown in FIG. 2A, the five protrusions 81b are set to have the same protrusion amount, and each of the five protrusions 81b has a turning radius R of the wafer boat 80 on the top plate 81 side. stipulate.

FIG. 2(b) is a side sectional view seen from the XX direction of FIG. 2(a). As shown in FIG. 2(b), the outermost portion of the projecting portion 81b of the top plate 81 and the outermost portions of the struts 83 and 84 are formed so as to have the same outer shape. Therefore, the turning radius R of the top plate 81 and the turning radius R of the posts 83 and 84 connected to the top plate 81 are the same. On the other hand, when the columns 83 and 84 are provided outside the top plate 81, for example, when the columns 83 and 84 are provided so as to contact the outer surfaces of the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82, the columns 83 , 84 is the outermost surface of the wafer boat 80 and defines the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80 . Conversely, if the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 have the same outer diameter and the pillars 83 and 84 are provided inside the top plate 81 , the outer diameter of the top plate 81 is the largest of the wafer boat 80 . It becomes the outer part and determines the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80 .

In this embodiment, the case where the projecting portion 81b of the top plate 81 and the outermost surfaces of the columns 83 and 84 are aligned will be described below. 80 is also applicable.

As shown in FIG. 2C, when the bottom plate 82 is cut along the DD cross section of FIG. is provided with a protruding portion 82b protruding from the . Supports 83 and 84 are installed on the projecting portion 82b. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, the outermost outer shape of the projecting portion 82b and the outer shape of the struts 83 and 84 connected and fixed to the bottom plate 82 are provided so as to match each other. In addition, an opening 82c is formed in the central region of the bottom plate 82, which differs from the top plate 81 in this respect. The opening 82c is provided for engagement with the mounting table when the wafer boat 80 is mounted on the heat insulating cylinder 75, and is not essential and may be provided as necessary (see FIG. 1). reference).

Returning to the description of FIG. The wafer boat 80 is placed on a table 74 via a heat insulating cylinder 75 made of quartz. The table 74 is supported on the upper end of a rotating shaft 72 passing through a lid 60 that opens and closes the lower end opening of the reaction tube 10 . For example, a magnetic fluid seal 73 is interposed in the through portion of the rotating shaft 72 to rotatably support the rotating shaft 72 in an airtight manner. A sealing member 61 such as an O-ring is interposed between the peripheral portion of the lid 60 and the lower end portion of the reaction tube 10 to maintain the sealing performance inside the reaction tube 10 .

The lid 60 is attached to an arm 71 supported by an elevating mechanism 70 such as a boat elevator, so that the wafer boat 80 and the lid 60 can be integrally moved up and down. Alternatively, the table 74 may be fixed to the lid 60 side, and the wafers W may be processed without rotating the wafer boat 80 .

The rotating shaft 72 is attached to the lower surface of the lid 60 , and a motor 76 a is attached near the rotating shaft 72 . The rotating shaft 72 and the motor 76a are connected via a pulley and a belt, and the rotating shaft 72 is rotated by the rotation of the motor 76a. The motor 76a is provided with an encoder 76b. The encoder 76b is rotational position detection means for detecting the rotational position of the rotary shaft 72. As shown in FIG. By using the encoder 76b, the positions of the pillars 83, 84 of the wafer boat 80 can be known. The rotational positions of the struts 83 and 84 detected by the encoder 76b are used to control the timing at which the injector 110 rotates to avoid contact with the struts 83 and 84. FIG. Details of this point will be described later.

A manifold 90 having a portion extending along the inner peripheral wall of the reaction tube 10 and a flange-like portion extending radially outward is arranged at the lower end of the reaction tube 10 . . Necessary gases are then introduced into the reaction tube 10 from the lower end of the reaction tube 10 via the manifold 90 . The manifold 90 is configured as a component separate from the reaction tube 10 , but is provided integrally with the side wall of the reaction tube 10 so as to constitute a part of the side wall of the reaction tube 10 . A detailed configuration of the manifold 90 will be described later.

Manifold 90 supports injector 110 . The injector 110 is a tubular member for supplying gas into the reaction tube 10, and is made of quartz, for example. The injector 110 is provided to extend vertically inside the reaction tube 10 . A plurality of gas discharge holes 111 are formed in the injector 110 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction, and the gas can be discharged horizontally from the gas discharge holes 111 .

The injector 110 includes a gas supply portion 112 having a gas ejection hole 111 and a gas introduction portion 113 having no gas ejection hole 111 and introducing gas. As shown in FIG. 1 , the gas discharge holes 111 are provided inside the pillars 83 of the wafer boat 80 . This is to supply the processing gas at a position closer to the wafer W, and to promote efficient supply of the processing gas to the wafer W. FIG.

However, if the gas supply part 112 protrudes inward from the column 83 in this way, the gas supply part 112 of the injector 110 collides with the column 83 when the wafer boat 80 rotates. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the injector 110 is rotated to avoid the gas supply section 112 of the injector 110 from colliding with the column 83 .

Although only one injector 110 is shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of injectors 110 may be provided according to the type and position of the processing gas to be supplied.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example injector 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The injector 110 according to this embodiment has a gas supply section 112 provided with a gas discharge hole 111 and a gas introduction section 113 for introducing gas.

The gas supply portion 112 has a cross-sectional shape that protrudes in one direction from the gas introduction portion 113 . The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the gas supply part 112 can be various shapes as long as it has an elongated shape. For example, it may be an elliptical shape having a long axis and a short axis, or a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the gas supply section 112 has an elliptical horizontal cross-sectional shape. The gas supply part 112 has an elliptical horizontal cross-sectional shape with a long axis and a short axis, and thus has a shape protruding in one direction. By providing the gas discharge hole 111 at the tip of the shape protruding in one direction, that is, at the end face intersecting the long axis of the oval shape, the gas discharge hole 111 can be arranged close to the wafer W of the wafer boat 80 . Become. Further, in FIG. 3 , the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the gas supply portion 112 is configured to include the gas introduction portion 113 . As a result, the gas introduction portion 113 and the gas supply portion 112 can be connected without any obstacles obstructing the flow of the gas from the gas introduction portion 113, and the gas can flow smoothly from the gas introduction portion 113 to the gas supply portion 112. can be However, it is not essential for the gas supply section 112 to have a horizontal cross-sectional shape that includes the gas introduction section 113, and the injector 110 can be configured in various shapes depending on the application.

Note that the gas discharge holes 111 are provided along the vertical direction, that is, along the longitudinal direction of the injector 110 . This is because the wafers W are held in multiple stages at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction in the wafer boat 80, so that all the wafers W can be supplied with the processing gas. Therefore, the height of the gas supply unit 112 is preferably set to at least the height at which the wafers are held or higher, and has substantially the same height as the wafer boat in this embodiment. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the gas supply portion 112 of the injector 110 preferably has a line-symmetrical shape with respect to the long axis passing through the gas discharge hole 111 . This is because left-right symmetry is easier to handle, and the process gas is more likely to be uniformly supplied.

The upper end of the gas supply section 112 is closed and the lower end is connected to the gas introduction section 113 . By closing the upper end, the processing gas can be horizontally supplied from the gas discharge holes 111 .

The gas introduction section 113 is provided below the gas supply section 112 . The gas introduction section 113 is a gas flow path for introducing a processing gas through the manifold 90 and supplying it to the gas supply section 112 , and is connected to the lower end of the gas supply section 112 . Since the gas introduction part 113 does not need to have a projecting shape, it has, for example, a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape. In the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the injector 110 is rotated while processing the substrate, so the gas introduction part 113 preferably has a shape that facilitates rotation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the gas introduction portion 113 is configured in a circular shape, and the center of the circle is the rotation axis 114 .

It is preferable that the outer end surface of the gas introduction portion 113 , that is, the end surface on the opposite side of the projecting portion of the gas supply portion 112 is formed continuously with the end surface of the gas supply portion 112 . As a result, the rotation diameter of the gas supply unit 112 can be set large, and the processing gas can be supplied at a location closer to the wafer W. FIG.

Forming the gas introduction part 113 smaller than the gas supply part 112 is not essential for carrying out the substrate processing method according to the present embodiment. A portion 113 may be provided and a rotating shaft 114 may be provided on the outer side to rotate the entire elliptical shape.

However, from the viewpoints of efficient rotation, simplification of the rotation mechanism, efficient orientation of the process gas upward, etc., the gas introduction section 113 is made smaller than the gas supply section 112. A shape that can be easily rotated, such as a circle, is preferable.

It should be noted that the gas introduction portion 113 may be a regular polygon. For example, the gas supply portion 112 may be rectangular and the gas introduction portion 113 may be square. Even if the gas introduction part 113 is square, if a square holding part is provided and the holding part is rotated around the center of the square as the rotation axis 114, the rotation mechanism does not become complicated. Therefore, the shape of the gas introduction part 113 and the gas supply part 112 can be various shapes depending on the application.

Also, the gas discharge hole 111 of the gas supply part 112 does not necessarily have to be provided at the tip. However, in order to efficiently supply the processing gas while bringing the gas ejection holes 111 closer to the wafer W, it is preferable to provide them at the tip (apex) of the shape protruding in one direction.

[Operation of Injector and Substrate Processing Apparatus]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining operations of the injector and the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the injector approaches the wafer boat. In FIG. 4A, a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus from above is shown. Although only the reaction tube 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1, an example in which an inner tube 12 is provided inside the reaction tube 10 will be described in FIG. 4(a).

A wafer boat 80 is provided inside the inner tube 12, and an injector 110 is provided in an injector accommodating portion 12a protruding outside the inner tube 12 and having a recessed inner peripheral wall. An exhaust port 12b is provided at a position of the inner tube 12 opposite to the injector 110 . An example in which the wafer boat 80 includes three substrate holding columns (hereinafter simply referred to as “columns”) 83 will be described. Also, the wafer boat 80 will be described with an example in which it rotates clockwise.

In FIG. 4A, the gas discharge hole 111 of the injector 110 faces the center of the wafer boat 80 and is positioned closest to the wafers W placed on the wafer boat 80 . That is, the distance between the center of rotation of the injector and the gas discharge hole 111 is greater than the distance from the center of rotation of the injector to the turning radius R of the column 83 and smaller than the distance from the center of rotation of the injector 110 to the outer edge of the wafer. , and the gas discharge holes 111 are arranged at positions close to the wafer so as not to come into contact with the wafer. When the processing gas is supplied from the gas discharge hole 111 at the tip of the injector in such a state, it can easily reach deep into the wafer W. FIG. That is, when the processing gas is supplied from the outside of the turning radius R through which the column 83 of the wafer boat 80 passes, the processing gas also flows in the space between the reaction tube 10 and the wafer W, causing turbulence. However, if the processing gas is supplied at a position closest to the wafer W, the amount of processing gas flowing toward other than the wafer can be reduced. Therefore, the processing gas can be supplied to the wafer W in a state of extremely high gas supply efficiency.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the strut 83 approaches the injector 110. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the injector 110 rotates counterclockwise to avoid contact with the strut 83. As shown in FIG. Such an operation clears the course of the strut 83 and prevents the strut 83 from colliding with the injector 110 . Injector 110 rotates about rotating shaft 114 of gas introducing portion 113 . In FIG. 4B, the longitudinal direction of the horizontal cross section of the gas supply section 112 is rotated by about 90 degrees, and the injector 110 is rotated until it becomes substantially parallel to the inner wall of the injector accommodating section 12a. This rotation angle may be set any number of times as long as the injector 110 can reliably avoid contact with the strut 83 .

Here, at least the rotating shaft 114 of the gas introduction part 113 needs to be outside the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80 . Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the allowable maximum rotation angle of the injector 110 is about 90 degrees, the rotation of the maximum allowable angle ensures that the support column 83 and the gas supply portion 112 of the injector 110 come into contact with each other. It is necessary to set it so that it can be avoided.

FIG. 4(c) is a diagram showing a state in which the strut 83 has passed through the injector 110. FIG. In this manner, the injector 110 rotates until the column 83 passes by the injector 110 and waits in the injector housing portion 12a until the column 83 passes. avoid contact with

FIG. 4(d) is a diagram showing a state in which the injector 110 rotates after passing through the strut. After the strut 83 has passed, the injector 110 can be rotated again and positioned closer to the wafer W, as shown in FIG. 4(d). Thereby, the processing gas can be supplied to the wafer W efficiently. Note that the direction of rotation of the injector 110 at this time is the direction of rotation opposite to the direction of rotation when the injector 110 is in the standby state of FIG.

In this way, the injector 110 rotates to avoid contact with the column 83 only when the column 83 approaches. The processing gas can be supplied to the wafer W, and substrate processing can be performed efficiently.

For example, the encoder 76b is incorporated in the motor 76a shown in FIG. should be done.

Such an operation is performed by, for example, the control unit 140 shown in FIG. 1 controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism that rotates the injector 110 based on the rotational position detection information of the encoder 76b. The control unit 140 controls the operation of the entire substrate processing apparatus. The control unit 140 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). It may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) made up of a developed IC (Integrated Circuit) or the like.

In addition to using the encoder 76b, an optical sensor is used to detect the position of the support 83, or a camera is used to detect the position of the support 83, and the rotation of the injector 110 is controlled based on the detected position of the support 83. may be configured to perform

When the number of struts 83 increases, the injector 110 rotates to avoid the struts corresponding to each strut 83 . In other words, as described with reference to FIG. 2, when there are auxiliary columns 84 or the like projecting outward, the injector 110 must be rotated so as not to come into contact with these columns 84 as well. On the other hand, if the projection is such that the injector 110 does not collide with it as it is, there is no need to rotate the injector 110 . In addition, when the pillars 83 and 84 are attached to the inner sides of the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 of the wafer boat 80 and the outer diameters of the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 are the turning radius R, the height of the gas supply unit 112 is set to Contact between the struts 83 and 84 and the injector 110 can be avoided by setting them so as to be accommodated between the top plate 81 and the bottom plate 82 .

In this way, it is possible to determine whether or not to rotate the injector 110 based on whether or not a collision with the strut 83 occurs.

[Injector rotation mechanism]
Next, an example of an injector rotating mechanism that rotates the injector 110 will be described. A mechanism for rotating the injector 110 can be various mechanisms as long as the injector 110 can be rotated by an appropriate angle at an appropriate timing. Here, one example of the injector rotation mechanism will be described, but it is not intended to be limited to this.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an injector rotation mechanism applicable to the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the gas introduction mechanism has a manifold 90, an injector 110, a rotating mechanism 300, and a gas pipe 121. As shown in FIG.

Manifold 90 has an injector support 91 and a gas inlet 95 .

The injector support portion 91 is a portion that extends vertically along the inner wall surface of the reaction tube 10 and supports the injector 110 . The injector support portion 91 has an insertion hole 92 into which the lower end of the injector 110 can be inserted and which can be externally supported by the lower end of the injector 110 .

The gas inlet 95 is a portion that protrudes radially outward from the injector support portion 91 and is exposed to the outside of the reaction tube 10, and allows gas to flow through the insertion hole 92 and the outside of the reaction tube 10 in communication. It has a gas flow path 96 . A gas pipe 121 is connected to the outer end of the gas flow path 96 so that gas can be supplied from the outside.

The injector 110 is inserted into the insertion hole 92 of the injector support portion 91, extends linearly along the inner wall surface of the reaction tube 10 as a whole, and communicates with the gas flow path 96 at the point where it is inserted into the insertion hole 92. It has an opening 112 for The opening 112 is formed, for example, in a substantially elliptical shape with a major axis in the horizontal direction and a minor axis in the vertical direction. As a result, gas is efficiently supplied from the gas flow path 96 to the injector 110 even when the injector 110 rotates.

The manifold 90 is made of metal, for example. From the viewpoint of preventing metal contamination, it is preferable that the reaction tube 10 and the parts constituting the reaction tube 10 are basically made of quartz. , must be made of metal. The manifold 90 of the processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is also made of metal, but the injectors 110 are not L-shaped, but rod-shaped. By forming a horizontally extending gas passage 96 in the gas inlet 95 of the manifold 90 and forming an opening 112 communicating with the gas passage 96 in the injector 110, the injector 110 has no thick horizontal portion. there is As a result, the gas inlet 95 of the manifold 90 does not need to accommodate the thick horizontal portion of the injector 110, so the thickness of the gas inlet 95 of the manifold 90 is reduced and the height is lowered to prevent metal contamination. can be reduced. The metal forming the manifold 90 may be a corrosion-resistant metal material such as stainless steel, aluminum, or Hastelloy.

The gas introduction mechanism shown in FIG. 5 rotates the injector 110 by a rotation mechanism 300 having a motor 310 and a worm gear mechanism 320 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotating mechanism 300 is connected to the lower end of the injector 110 and rotates the injector 110 with its longitudinal direction as the central axis. Specifically, the rotation mechanism 300 has a motor 310 and a worm gear mechanism 320 , and the worm gear mechanism 320 converts the rotational direction and rotational speed of the rotational motion generated by the motor 310 and transmits it to the injector 110 . .

Motor 310 is, for example, a direct current (DC) motor.

The worm gear mechanism 320 has a rotating shaft 321 , a magnetic fluid seal portion 322 , a worm 323 , a worm wheel 324 , a washer 325 and a holding bolt 326 .

The rotating shaft 321 has a rod shape and is inserted into the manifold 90 while maintaining airtightness by a magnetic fluid seal portion 322 . One end of the rotating shaft 321 is connected to the motor 310 . As a result, the rotating shaft 321 rotates as the motor 310 operates. A bellows may be used instead of the magnetic fluid seal portion 322 .

A worm 323 is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 321 . Thus, when the rotating shaft 321 rotates, the worm 323 rotates together with the rotating shaft 321 .

The worm wheel 324 meshes with the worm 323 and is rotatable forward and backward. As a result, when the worm 323 rotates, the worm wheel 324 rotates counterclockwise or clockwise (in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5B) in accordance with the rotation direction of the worm 323 . Worm wheel 324 holds injector 110 against circumferential rotation of injector 110 relative to worm wheel 324 . Accordingly, when the worm wheel 324 rotates, the injector 110 rotates integrally with the worm wheel 324 . Also, the worm wheel 324 is rotatably held by a holding bolt 326 via a washer 325 .

For example, by providing such a rotating mechanism, the injector 110 is rotated to supply the processing gas near the wafer W while preventing the gas supply section 112 of the injector 110 from coming into contact with the pillars 83 and 84 of the wafer boat 80. be able to.

Note that the rotation mechanism 200 described in the present embodiment is merely an example, and various rotation mechanisms such as a rotation mechanism using a rack and pinion can be used depending on the application.

[Substrate processing method]
Next, the operation when the vertical heat treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs the film forming process will be described. When the vertical heat treatment apparatus performs the film formation process, a plurality of wafers W, for example, about 50 to 100 wafers W are placed on the wafer boat 80 and placed on the table 74 on the lid 60 . Then, the lid body 60 is lifted and hermetically sealed, and the wafer W is placed in the reaction tube 10 . Although only one injector 110 is shown in FIG. 1, an example in which a plurality of injectors 110 (not shown) are provided will be described.

Next, the vacuum pump 34 is operated to evacuate the inside of the reaction tube 10, and the pressure of the reaction tube 10 reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum.

Then, the wafer boat 80 is rotated and process gas is supplied from the plurality of injectors 110 . Various gases may be selected as the processing gas depending on the application. For example, when forming a silicon oxide film, a silicon-containing gas and an oxidizing gas are supplied. The silicon-containing gas may be, for example, aminosilane gas, and the oxidizing gas may be, for example, ozone gas. As the aminosilane gas and the ozone gas react with each other, silicon oxide is deposited on the wafer W as a reaction product, forming a silicon oxide film.

The timing of supplying the processing gas first is preferably the state shown in FIG. 4(a). That is, the supply of processing gas is started at a position where the protruding tip of the injector 110 faces the center of the wafer boat 80 and the gas discharge hole 111 is closest to the outer periphery of the wafer W, rather than in a state where the injector 110 is rotating. is preferred. However, this point is not essential, and as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the supply of the processing gas may be started from the rotating state.

In the case of CVD (Chemical vapor deposition) film formation, aminosilane gas and ozone gas are simultaneously supplied into the reaction tube 10 . On the other hand, in the case of ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) film formation, only aminosilane gas is first supplied into the reaction tube 10 and adsorbed on the surface of the wafer W. Then, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, after purging the inside of the reaction tube 10 with a purge gas, only ozone gas is supplied, and a silicon acid film layer is formed on the surface of the wafer W by reaction with the aminosilane gas adsorbed on the surface of the wafer W. Thereafter, after supplying a purge gas into the reaction tube 10, the cycle of aminosilane gas supply, purge gas supply, ozone gas supply, and purge gas supply is repeated to gradually deposit a silicon oxide film layer on the surface of the wafer W.

At this time, the encoder 76b detects the positions of the columns 83 and 84 of the wafer boat 80, and when the columns 83 and 84 reach a predetermined distance or angle with respect to the injector 110, the injector 110 is rotated. The rotating operation is performed using, for example, the mechanism described in the above embodiment. As for the direction of rotation, as described with reference to FIG. 4, if the wafer boat 80 is clockwise, it is preferably rotated counterclockwise, and if the wafer boat 80 is counterclockwise, it is preferably rotated clockwise. Since the wafer boat 80 and the injectors 110 face each other, if they are rotated in opposite directions, the moving direction of the wafer boat 80 and the moving direction of the injectors 110 will match, and the wafer boat 80 will move smoothly without going against the moving direction. Contact with the wafer boat 80 can be avoided.

Note that the encoder 76b is merely an example of means for detecting the positions of the supports 84, 84, and other detection means and detection methods such as optical detectors and imaging detection may be used.

The timing of starting rotation of the injector 110 and the rotation speed can be set to appropriate values in consideration of the rotation speed of the wafer boat 80 and the like. Similarly, it is preferable to set the timing and rotation speed for returning to the original state after rotation to appropriate values. It is preferable to set the time during which the injector 110 can supply the processing gas near the outer circumference of the wafer W as long as possible while reliably avoiding the contact between the injector 110 and the wafer boat 80 .

A series of these operations may be performed by the control unit 140 . That is, the detection signal of the encoder 76b is sent to the control section 140, and the control section 140 commands the rotation mechanism 200 to rotate the injector 110 at an appropriate timing and rotation speed. As a result, contact between the columns 83 and 84 of the wafer boat and the injector 110 can be reliably avoided, and the injector 110 can be rotated with good timing.

In this manner, a silicon oxide film can be formed on the surface of the wafer W. At this time, the processing gas is supplied from the processing gas supply source 123 to the injector 110 through the processing gas supply pipe 121. It is done by being At this time, since the injector 110 can supply the processing gas at a position close to the wafer W, that is, at a position inside the columns 83 and 84, the substrate can be processed efficiently.

Conventionally, the columns 83 and 84 were regarded as the turning radius R of the wafer boat 80, and the injector 110 was arranged at a position away from the turning radius R. The processing gas can be supplied at a position close to the outer periphery of the wafer W, and the adsorption efficiency of the source gas and the reaction efficiency of the reaction gas can be enhanced.

Although the inner tube 12 is not shown in FIG. 1, when the inner tube 12 is present, the injector 110 is arranged inside the inner tube 12 as described in FIG. supply processing gas to the

Such substrate processing is continued until the thin film reaches a predetermined film thickness, and when the target film thickness is reached, the supply of the processing gas is stopped and the rotation of the wafer boat 80 is stopped. Then, the lid body 60 is lowered, and the wafers W subjected to the substrate processing are unloaded from the wafer boat 80 . Since the substrate processing in this embodiment is the film forming processing, the wafer W with the thin film formed on the surface thereof is unloaded.

By using the injector 110 protruding in one direction, film formation processing with high gas supply efficiency can be performed, and throughput and film quality can be improved.

As described above, according to the injector, the substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate processing method according to the present embodiment, the process can be performed at a position closer to the wafer W while preventing contact between the injector 110 and the pillars 83 and 84 of the wafer boat 80. can be supplied, and throughput and film quality can be improved.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been detailed above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. can be added.

10 Reaction tube 80 Wafer boat 76a Motor 76b Encoder 83, 84 Column 90 Manifold 91 Injector support 95 Gas inlet 96 Gas flow path 110 Injector 111 Gas hole 112 Gas supply unit 113 Gas introduction unit 114 Rotary shaft 121 Gas pipe 140 Control unit 200 Rotation mechanism 210 Air cylinder 220 Link mechanism

Claims (11)

a processing container having a substantially cylindrical shape;
It has a plurality of pillars arranged along the outer periphery of the substrate, has a holding structure capable of holding the substrate in multiple stages inside the plurality of pillars, and vertically separates the plurality of substrates. a substrate holder that can be held in multiple stages and that can be carried into and out of the processing container;
a substrate holder rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holder;
It extends in the vertical direction along the substrate holder, has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that protrudes in one direction, has a plurality of discharge holes at the tip of the protruding part, and the tip of the protruding part is the above-mentioned an injector installed so that it enters inside the support and the opposite side of the projecting portion is outside the support;
The injector has a rotation axis outside the support, and the injector is rotated around the rotation axis so as not to come into contact with the support when the substrate holder rotates and the support approaches. and an injector rotating mechanism that rotates the injector about the rotation axis so that the plurality of discharge holes are located inside the support when the support is not close to the support. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of discharge holes are arranged along said vertical direction. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the injector rotating mechanism rotates the injector so that the plurality of ejection holes are positioned closest to the substrate when the support is not approaching. In the lower part of the injector, there is provided a gas introduction part which has a center coaxial with the rotating shaft, does not have the projecting part and the discharge hole, and has a common end surface on the opposite side of the projecting part. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . the portion of the injector having the horizontal cross-sectional shape has an elliptical cross-sectional shape;
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the gas introducing portion has a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the innermost portion of said gas introducing portion is arranged outside said support column. a rotational position detection unit that detects the rotational position of the post of the substrate holder;
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a control section that controls rotation of the injector rotation mechanism based on the rotational position of the support column detected by the rotational position detection section. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said rotational position detector has an encoder. a step of rotating a substrate holder having a plurality of pillars arranged along the outer circumference of the substrate, and holding the plurality of substrates in multiple stages while separating the plurality of substrates in the vertical direction inside the plurality of pillars; ,
It extends in the vertical direction along the substrate holder, has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that protrudes in one direction, has a plurality of discharge holes at the tip of the protruding portion, and has a tip of the protruding portion. a step of supplying a processing gas to the plurality of substrates held by the substrate holder from an injector which enters inside the column and is installed so that the opposite side of the projecting portion is outside the column; ,
detecting the plurality of posts of the substrate holder;
When the detected strut is approaching the injector, the injector is rotated so as not to contact the strut, and when the strut is not approaching, the plurality of discharge holes are positioned inside the strut. and rotating the injector so as to. 10. The substrate processing method according to claim 9 , wherein a rotating shaft is provided outside said column inside said injector, and said injector is rotated around said rotating shaft. 11. The substrate processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the step of detecting the plurality of pillars is performed using an encoder.

Images